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Peter's two epistles are particularly timely in that they reveal to us a divine formula for successful holy living and holy attitude at all times, especially critical during the increasingly more tumultuous yet spiritually opportune times in which are find ourselves.

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

Isaiah tells us the fear of the Lord is His treasure.

Isaiah 33:6
⁶ Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times,
And the strength of salvation;
The fear of the LORD is His treasure.

We'll do well embracing that eternal truth.

It's all written for our benefit and admonition, upon whom the end of the ages has come (says Paul in Corinthians chapter 10)

The people had become discouraged, disappointed and distracted. They had lost focus on the priorities of heaven. God in His mercy confronts them and speaks to them, AND THEY LISTEN!!! And the glory of God appears in their midst, and their is true, holy breakthroughs to succeed during trying times.

This podcast episode is a recap of where we've been as a hungry group of God-lovers and God's-word-lovers. It should greatly encourage us all, going forward into the New Year. 2022. For His glory.

Our great and awesome God has overtaken us with salvation. The prophets wrote to us to inspire us to finish well, amidst the upcoming most troubling times ever. And the finish, the conclusion of this age, is nothing short of spectacular for the faithful. Our Savior will sing over us, comfort and refresh us, at that time of celebration. As the old hymnist wrote: “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus...”

Again we consider the purposes and plans of God both for His people and for His adversaries. It's a call to surrender and holiness, and also a call to call others to that one and only place of success.  

We spend time in both testaments to confirm the storyline of God's revealed end-of-age plan, never once forgetting or minimizing the glory of His return and His promises to the faithful, and meanwhile not minimizing or worse yet ignoring that which the Lord wants us to know in advance, for our preparation and success.

We’re into the sobering book of Zephaniah, who prophesied during the days of Josiah, foreseeing the temporary revival during that good king’s reign, but also foreseeing the necessary upcoming captivity/judgment of God upon Israel for its failure to follow through to sustained holiness, and then prophetically looking forward to the conclusion of this age when our Lord returns to restore things into the perfect harmony of God. And here we find ourselves, awaiting our Lord’s return, during the as-prophesied most turbulent times ever.  

Daniel is told some final mysteries. He's invited to rest. We're invited into the great exploits of these critical days, prepared with an understanding of what is ahead.

Daniel is told to seal things up until the time of the end – the time in which we are living.

He is assured that he will rest and then, along with us and with all whose names are in the book of life, will be called up to rule and reign with His Savior, with our Savior. There will be trouble, there will be great days. And there will be grace.
We do not conclude the Daniel study this week. But we’re oh so close.